Australian Story: 'I am Jack' - ABC TV

Screening as part of ABC 'Mental As' – a week of distinctive programming on TV, radio and online for Mental Health Week - comes this ep of 'Australian Story.'

It's the story of radio and TV personality Ian ‘Dano’ Rogerson and his wife Nicole, who gave up their home, careers and an exciting lifestyle for the love of their son, Jack.

Ian Rogerson is a successful national broadcaster and media star who in the 1980s was best known for his professional partnership with Jonathan Coleman. As ‘Jono & Dano’, the pair had a 10-year run with top-rating radio shows and a string of national television programs. 

While Jono Coleman went on to forge a successful career in Britain, Ian Rogerson all but disappeared from the entertainment scene for more than a decade.

Five years ago Australian Story filled in the missing years.  Ian Rogerson had thrown in his career – “career suicide”, according to many in the industry – to care for Jack.

Diagnosed with autism as a toddler, Jack Rogerson was hyperactive, could barely speak and was unable to express ordinary affection. Like many parents of autistic children, the Rogersons soon discovered there was little help available. But they were determined to do whatever they could to enable their son to lead a mainstream lifestyle.

The turning point came when they met Elizabeth Watson, a therapist pioneering a treatment called Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA). 

When we first visited the Rogersons, Jack had just completed his primary school education.  Now, five years on, the family’s determination is being richly rewarded.

At 18, Jack has recently graduated from a mainstream high school and is looking forward to a career in the hospitality industry.

In this program, the Rogersons candidly discuss the highs and lows of Jack’s life and explain how he has been able to reach his full potential. 

"Jack’s progress shows what is possible," says Nicole Rogerson, who is now CEO of Autism Awareness Australia and also runs an early behavioural intervention centre in Sydney to help other children with autism.

"We know that kids in Australia, one in a hundred of them, have Autism Spectrum Disorder. The reality is the vast majority are not getting anywhere near best practice guidelines for treatment of Autism. So unless the government makes a genuine investment in this area, so many children are not going to reach their best outcome and I think that’s a tragedy." 

  

Also featured are the Rogersons’ younger son, Tom, high school director of students Adam Lewis, and family friends Angela Catterns and Jonathan Coleman, together with therapist Elizabeth Watson.

'Australian Story – I am Jack' will screen on Monday October 6, at 8pm on ABC.

UPDATED: if you missed the episode tonight, you can watch the whole ep right here.

Note from ABC: This episode was broadcast at 8:00pm on Monday 6 October 2014. It was published 59 minutes ago and is available until 9:01pm on 20 October 2014. File size approx. 144 MB

 

'The Autism Enigma' - Four Corners. ABC TV.

Did you catch the 'Four Corners' episode tonight titled 'The Autism Enigma'?

Here is the i/view link: http://www.abc.net.au/iview/#/series/four%20corners

It is live for two weeks from today's date.

Here is a blurb on the show:

Four Corners presents "The Autism Enigma". Filmed in the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada the program looks at a controversial theory examining the possible links between harmful bacteria in a child's gut and ASD.

"The Autism Enigma" follows the work of an international group of scientists researching the human intestine and the clues their work might hold for treating and perhaps preventing this baffling disorder.

The film features the stories of two mothers with autistic sons. One, a Somali immigrant called Adar, has been working with scientists who are exploring why autism is more prevalent in her immigrant community. The other is Ellen Bolte, from Chicago, who began her own investigation to see if she could help her son who'd been diagnosed with autism. Using home videos she shares the story of her search for answers and the treatment she believes has given her son an opportunity to learn language, play and become more socially interactive.

"The Autism Enigma", produced by Christopher Sumpton, Robin Benger and Marion Gruner and presented by Kerry O'Brien, goes to air on Monday 27th August at 8.30pm on ABC1. It is replayed on Tuesday 28th August at 11.35pm. The program can also be seen on ABC News 24 on Saturday at 8.00pm, on ABC iviewand at abc.net.au/4corners.

For more, see: http://www.abc.net.au/4corners/stories/2012/08/23/3574441.htm